Method of rolling metal



H. A. LEWIS.

METHOD 0F ROLLFNG METAL.

APPLICATION man ocT.2a,1919.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

wm R oom um .o m Mm v mu m n4 H. A. LEWIS.1 METHOD OF ROLLING METAL. APPLICATION FILED OCTI 23| I9I9.

IINITED STATES HARRY A. LEWIS, 0F NOBBISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

i METHOD ,0F ROLLING METAL.

Larcher.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

Application' #led October 23, 191,9. Serial 110.632,60.

duction, for example, in connection with the rolling of plates or sheets.

Another object of my invention 1s to provide for the effective removal of scale fromthe metal during the rolling operation, this result being accomplished by turning the metal over between Successive reductions and thereby bending the metal alternately in op osite directions.

o these ends, the invention consists in delivering the blank from the reducing or operating rolls into a holder and while the blank is contained in that holder turnin the blank, for example, by means of turnin the holder, and then feeding the blank from the holder over thev top roll of the reducing rolls, or into a pass in the reducing rolls at another level than the pass which delivered the blank into the holder. The particular method will be fully set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of apparatus adapted for the practice 'of the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of said apparatus on line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. l; and Fig. 4 shows the invention applied to a three-high mill.

ln order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will describe the same in connection with the rolling of plates or sheets as practised in c0nnect1on with both, a twohigh and a three-high mill, though it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to any method, such as described and claimed.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 designates suitable housings of a two-high mill in which the rolls 3 are-mounted in the ordinary manner, and adapted to be driven in opposite directions, by suitable mechanism, as shown by thev arrows on Fig. 2. My in-v vention can be employed in connection with any suitable holder adapted to the practice of the particular steps involved and I will describe apparatus suitable for that practice in a simple form in connection with the manufacture of sheet or plate metal. In front of the rolls is an ordinary roller table provided with the feed rollers 5, said feed rollers being driven in any suitable way, such as by bevel gears 6, which are engaged by bevel gears 7 on the outer driven shaft 8. In this manner the feed rollers in ordinary operation are driven in the ldirection of the arrows on Fig. 2, so that the metal deposited thereon is fed through the pass between the reducing rolls 3. On the opposite side of the rolls is mounted a suitable holder into which the metal plate, which is shown in dotted lines, is deposited, and which illustrates one well adapted form of return feed mechanism.

This holder is in the form of a cage 14 supported o n two curved guides 10 and 12, carrying the grooved anti-friction rollers 11 and 13, respectively, and the ca e 14 has the annular flanges l5 and 16 whic engage with the grooved rollers 11 and 13 and thus support the cage. A circular rack 22 is formedon the feeding member or cage 14 which engages with the pinion 23 mounted on the shaft 24, which shaft is driven by any suitable mechanism for the turning of the cage, as desired. The cage, as thus mounted has its axis of rotationat right angles to the rolls, and at a higher level than the center of the top reducing roll. This cage as illustrated, has two inclined guide-ways 25 and 26,- which as illustratedv are formed of sets of idle rollers 18 and 19, so spaced apart as to form the guideways, and the idle rollers of each set may be arranged for adjustment toward and from each other in any de'- sired way, in order to provide for handling sheets and plates of different thicknesses. The cage has also stop plates 20 which close the outer ends of the guide-ways and prevent the sheets from passing out at the outer end of the cage.

A suitable guide 21 is provided to direct the sheet between the rollers 18 or 19, according to which set is in the lowermost position. Side guides 30 may also be provided for preventing the material from slipping out of the ca'ge while the cage is being revolved. These guides` may be arranged for adjustment in any desired way to accommodate sheets or plates of different y plates or sheets in a 'two-high mill, a suitably heated blank is placed upon the feed rollers 5 and fedf thereby through the reducing rolls 3 and` is delivered 'therefrom into a guide-way, say the guide-way of the cage or holder 14, and as such ide-way is downwardly inclined in the position illustrated, the blank drops down upon the outer roller'` table or set of lrolls 18 and rests thereon. By the rotation of the cage, this blank is then raised upwardly and given a half turn'so that it drops down upon the lower or inner set of rolls 19 and is held by the same in a position inclined downwardly toward the reducing rolls. It then by its own weight passes downwardl fromothe cage, for exam le, over the gui e roll 29 in the housin an over the top roll of the reducing ro 3, and drops down upon the feed rollers of the table 5, which are revolving toward the reducing rolls 3, and the blank is thereby fed forward into the reducing rolls, and through the same and into the inclined guide-way 26 which by the above operation, has been moved from above into receiving position and receives the' blank. While the'blank is held in the ide-way, the rack is again turned, bringmg that guide-way into upper position, and

- scri is quickly fed in the course proper for its f the blank in the course above de- Thus, without handling, the blank turning and reduction, and it can be reduced at greater speed and without manual labor so that a larger and consequently a more rapid reduction can be obtained and danger to the workmen entirely avoided. When the blank has been reduced to finished sheet orplate form, it can be removed from the mill by the reversal of the feed table 5 or any other desired way.

4 The cage 14 may be given its step-b] step rotation always in the same directlon, or it may, if desired, be oscillated, first in one direction, and then in the other. As a further modiication, more than two sets of the blank-holding guides 18-19 may be provided, the guides or holders in every case being equally spaced around the periphery of the cage 14, and the step-by-step rotation of the cage 14 being so adjusted that each step brings the next empty holder into position to receive a sheet and brings the next full holder into position to discharge its sheet.

When the invention is applied to a threehigh mill, it can beemployed as illustrated in Fig. 4, suitable pinch feed rollers 30 being provided as illustrated, and these pinch rollers maybe power driven by suitable mechanism, if desired.

The blank can thus be receivedfrom the upper guideway and positively fed into the upper pass of the three-high mill. The apparatus may be varied as desired, and according to the character of the metal operated up'on.

It is characteristic of the method of my present invention that the blanks are inverted laterally as distinguished from being turned end for end. This is to say, each blank after passing through the rolls is inverted -by being tilted or revolved around an axis perpendicular to the rolls so that, although the blank is repeatedly turned over, the front' and rear edges of the blank always remain in the same. relative positions.

It is to be understood that my method is not restricted to the use of the particular apparatus which I have shown and described, or to the treatment of any particular material, and I therefore desire thatno limitations be placed upon my lnvention except such as are indicated in the appendv erally while it is contained in the holder and then feeding the blank from the holder over the top roll of the reducing rolls.

2. The method of rolling metal that comprises Idelivering a blank from reducin rolls into a holder, supporting the blan therein on a downward incline, turning the blank while in said holder to raise it to an upward incline with respect to the rolls and then feeding the blank from the holder over the top roll of the reducing rolls.

3. The method of rollin metal that comprises delivering a blanl from reduc' rolls into a holder, supporting the blan therein on a downward incline, turning the blank while in said holder to raise it to an upward incline with respect to the rolls,

and then feeding the blank by gravity from thzls holder over the top roll of the reducing ro 4. The method of rolling metal that comprises delivering a blank from reducing the blank from the holder.

6. The method of rolling metal that commetal that comfrom reducing rolls to a holder, moving said holder to invert said blank laterally, removing said blank from said holder, and returning it to the entry side of the reducing rolls, and agin feeding the blank to., the reducing ro s.

8. The method of rolling metal that comprises delivering a blank from reducing rolls to a holder, mechanically moving said holder to invert said blank laterally, mechanically removing said blank from said holder and returning it to the entry side of the reducing rolls and again feeding the blank mechanically to the reducing rolls.

9. The method of rolling metal that comprises delivering a blank from one pass of a set of reducing rolls to a holder, automatically moving said holder to invert said blank laterally, mechanically removing said blank from said holder and returning it through another pass of -said set of rolls to the entry side of the reducing rolls, and again feeding the said blank mechanically to said reducing rolls.

l0. The work-holding method that comprises delivering a at article to a holder, moving said holder to rotate the plane'oi said article laterally with respect to the direction in Which said article is delivered to said holder, and removing said article from said holder.

11. The Work-holding method that comprises delivering an article to a holder, automatically moving'said holder to invert said article laterally with respect to the direction in which said article is delivered to said holder, and removing said article from said holder.

In testimony whereof, I, the said HARRY A. LEWIS, have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY A. LEWIS.

Vitnesses:

AARON S. SWARTZ, Jr., ELIZABETH R. FoRnEs'r. 

